Medal display

ABSTRACT

A display apparatus for an awarded medal includes a base, a substantially vertical section connected to the base, the vertical section including at least one opening, the opening including a slot capable of accommodating a lid, at least one projecting support residing within the opening, and a lid positioned within the slot, the awarded medal including a medal section and a ribbon, at least part of the ribbon residing inside the opening and covered by the lid.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a non-provisional application based upon U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/698,397, entitled “MEDAL DISPLAY”, filed Jul. 16, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

This application relates to trophies, medals, and ways to display trophies, medals, and other awards.

2. Description of the Related Art

Each year, millions of people participate in road running races, triathlons, and other endurance sport events. Some of these events make for quite the spectacle: for example, over 50,000 runners toed the line for the 2017 New York City Marathon. Regardless of the size or the distance of the race, or of a participant's finishing position, most people consider completion of these events to be an accomplishment. Indeed, many organized races award every finisher with a medal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Often, race finishers commemorate their 5 Ks, half-marathons, marathons, and triathlons, among other events, by storing several finisher medals on a rack. But truly special race medals signify accomplishments that deserve individual acknowledgment. This application discloses a device that places that special medal on a pedestal, so to speak.

In some embodiments, a display apparatus for an awarded medal includes a base and a substantially vertical section connected to the base. The vertical section includes at least one opening that includes a slot capable of accommodating a lid, at least one projecting support residing within the opening, and a lid positioned within the slot. The awarded medal includes a medal section and a ribbon, and at least part of the ribbon resides inside the opening and covered by the lid.

The Detailed Description, below, and its accompanying drawings, will provide a better understanding of the invention and set forth embodiments that indicate the various ways the invention may be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of an exemplary medal display displaying a medal.

FIG. 2 is a back elevation view of the medal display of FIG. 1, showing the medal ribbon tucked into the back compartment.

FIG. 3 is a back elevation view of the medal display of FIG. 1, showing the lid covering the opening in the back compartment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the medal display of FIG. 1 without the medal on display.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the medal display of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the base of the medal display of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of the medal display of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the front plate of the medal display of FIG. 4.

FIG. 9 is a back elevation view of the medal display of FIG. 4, showing the lid covering the opening in the back compartment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the back plate of the medal display of FIG. 4.

FIG. 11 is cutaway view of the cross-section A-A, labeled in FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the back plate of the medal display of FIG. 4.

FIG. 13 is an interior perspective view of the lid of the medal display of FIG. 9.

FIG. 14 is an exterior perspective view of the lid of the medal display of FIG. 9.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This description describes one or more embodiments and should not limit the invention to those embodiments. The description explains principles of the invention to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to understand and apply the principles to practice both the described embodiments and other embodiments that may come to mind. The invention's scope should cover all embodiments that might fall within the scope of the claims, either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.

A. Overview

FIGS. 1-3 show medal display 100, with finisher medal 102 (having medal ribbon 104) installed and on display. Medal display 100 includes a base, and is sized, to effect stable balance and support for medal 102. In some embodiments, however, a significant portion of medal ribbon 104 fits into the compartment formed in the back of medal display 100 to focus the viewer's eye on medal 102 and to create a compact package. In a way, medal display 100 “wears” medal 102 like a human neck would, with the slight angle of stand 106 relative to base 108 enabling medal 102 (which might also be referred to as the “medal section”) to rest on the front-one might even think of it as the “chest”—of medal display 100.

Although medal racks can accommodate several medals, these fail to celebrate a particular accomplishment, with the clutter the various medals create. Many of these racks also divert the viewer's eye to the ribbon of each medal, which can distract the viewer from the details of a finisher's achievement. As described below, medal display 100, however, overcomes medal racks' drawbacks.

B. Parts

In some embodiments, medal display 100 includes, generally, two main parts: base 108 (made from marble, for example) and stand 106 (a substantially vertical section, where “substantially” means within +10° from the vertical, made from injection molded plastic, for example), as shown in FIG. 4. In particular, however, this disclosure will describe and illustrate at least four parts, which the following four subsections expound upon: (1) base 108; (2) front plate 114; (3) back plate 130; and (4) sliding lid 148. Despite the organization of this disclosure, medal display 100 can include more or fewer parts than those discussed in the following subsections.

1. Base

Referring to FIGS. 4-6, among others, base 108 supports stand 106 and helps balance medal display 100. Base 108 can be constructed, either hollow or solid, of materials such as marble, granite, plastic, or any material that can counterbalance the weight of an awarded medal that stand 106 must bear to remain upright. As shown in FIG. 6, in particular, base 108 includes base opening 110, through which a screw or bolt (not shown) can penetrate from either the top or bottom of base 108 to engage base nut 112. Base nut 112 helps join front plate 114 and back plate 130 with base 108, as the subsections below will further describe. Although FIG. 6 shows a single base opening 110, base 108 can include multiple base openings, as these (along with additional nuts and bolts, for example) would also secure stand 106 to base 108, if front plate 114 and back plate 130 feature corresponding structures to accommodate multiple nuts.

2. Front Plate

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5, 7, and 8, among others, front plate 114 includes front exterior surface 116 and front interior surface 118, and serves as the front face of stand 106. Front plate 114 includes molded edge 120, five male connectors 122, projecting interior support bump 124, and nut dock 128.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in this exemplary disclosure, molded edge 120 (other processes besides molding can create molding edge 120) serves both a functional and aesthetic role for stand 106. On the functional front, molded edge 120, which extends around front exterior surface 116, helps support the sections of ribbon that rest atop stand 106. And on the aesthetic front, edge 120, with the concave indentation shown particularly in the profile view of FIG. 5, resembles a “crown molding” that might occupy a ledge or shelf as décor in a home or office. Despite the advantages that accompany this particular arrangement, the facial shape and the angles of edge 120 can vary from those disclosed for the exemplary embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, front plate 114 includes five male connectors 122, which project from front interior surface 118 of front plate 114. Male connectors 122 can be any shape that facilitates press fitting and front plate 114 can include any number of male connectors 122, given that this disclosure is exemplary. Moreover, in general, front plate 114 can connect to back plate 130 using additional connection mechanisms (screws, for example) beyond those explicitly disclosed in this application.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 8, and 9, front plate 114 includes projecting interior support bump 124. Bump 124 serves two purposes, among others. First, as described further below, when lid 148 slides into place within lid slot 144, projecting interior support bump 124 urges lid 148 outward and prevents lid 148 from tilting inward and falling into opening 152. Second, the distal edge of bump sidewalls 126 angles progressively farther outward from top to bottom. This outward angle contacts lid 148 and helps guide it during its sliding into lid slot 144.

Finally, referring to FIG. 8, again, front plate 114 includes front nut dock 128, which can accommodate nut 112. Front nut dock 128 facilitates the sliding enjoining of front plate 114 and back plate 130, and helps connect stand 106 to base 108. As explained above, if base 108 uses multiple combinations of nuts and bolts, front plate 114 can then include the corresponding number of nut docks.

3. Back Plate

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 9-12, among others, in the exemplary embodiment, back plate 130 includes back exterior surface 132 and back interior surface 134, and serves as the rear face of stand 106. Back plate 130 includes five female connectors 136, compartment 138, back nut dock 142, lid slot 144, and opening 152.

Referring to FIG. 10, five female connectors 136 extend from back interior surface 134 and accommodate the insertion of at least one male connector 122 extending from front interior surface 118 of front plate 114. Like male connectors 122, female connectors 136 can be any shape that facilitates press fitting and back plate 130 can include any number of female connectors 136, given that this disclosure is exemplary.

Referring to FIGS. 10-12, compartment 138 resides within back plate 130, with compartment walls 140 extending inward from opening 152 and back interior surface 134. True, referring to FIG. 11, in a way, compartment 138 materializes based on the combination of, and the connection between, front plate 114 and back plate 130. Further, although compartment walls 140 extend from back interior surface 134, compartment walls could also extend from front interior surface 118. For purposes of this disclosure, however, because the figures show compartment walls 140 extending from back plate 130, this disclosure associates compartment 138 with back plate 130. Indeed, this disclosure is exemplary. As shown in FIG. 11, in the exemplary embodiment, when front plate 114 connects with back plate 130, compartment 138 abuts front interior surface 118 of front plate 114. Despite this exemplary arrangement and abutment, however, compartment 138 can bear shapes and sizes that vary from the disclosed dimensions.

Referring to FIG. 10, back plate 130 includes back nut dock 142, which serves a similar purpose as front nut dock: it accommodates nut 112. In fact, front nut dock 128 and back nut dock 142 join one another to help with the sliding enjoining of front plate 114 and back plate 130. Similar to front nut dock 128, if base 108 uses multiple combinations of nuts and bolts, back plate 130 can then include the corresponding number of nut docks.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 5, 9, 11, and 12 lid slot 144 projects from back exterior surface 132 with a U-shape, in this exemplary embodiment. Lid slot 144 serves three purposes, among others. First, it strengthens back plate 130 during the injection molding manufacturing of back plate 130. Second, it serves as a grip to ease the separation of front plate 114 from back plate 130 during disassembly. Third, lid slot 144 holds lid 148 in place, so a user can close off medal ribbon 104 inside compartment 138.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12, opening 152 in back plate 130 is “house”-shaped to facilitate delicate medal ribbon insertion into compartment 138. That is, the shape allows the ribbon to extend over the top of front plate 114 and enter opening 152, all while minimizing creases. Visible in FIG. 12, at back exterior surface 132, opening 152 includes lip 154, which extends along what could be considered the “roof” of the “house”-shape of opening 152. Lip 154 helps provide added pressure between back exterior surface 132 and lid 148, and accounts for potentially smooth medal ribbons that complicate, or undergo damage during, the ribbon-packing process within compartment 138.

4. Lid

Referring to FIGS. 3, 9, and 11, lid 148 fits into lid slot 144 to close off compartment 138 and conceal part of ribbon 104 from view. Lid 148 includes groove 150, which helps guide lid 148 along lid slot 144. The thickness of the exterior edge of lid 148 facilitates a snug, secure fit in lid slot 144.

C. Assembly, Use, and Resulting Features

Referring to FIGS. 6, 8, and 10, among others, assembly of medal display 100 requires joining front plate 114 with back plate 130 to encase nut 112. Specifically, once nut 112 is secured to base 108, a user can slide front plate 114 toward back plate 130 so male connectors 122 of front plate 114 can press fit into female connectors 136 of back plate 130. The encasing of nut 112 hides nut 112 entirely from view, creating a seamless appearance, like the views in FIGS. 1-5. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 11, the joining of front plate 114 and back plate 130 creates compartment 138, which is the hollow body into which medal ribbon 104 fits.

FIGS. 1-3 show finisher medal 102 “installed” on medal display 100. Medal 102 rests on front exterior surface 116 of front plate 114, while medal ribbon 104 extends up and over the top of front plate 114, through opening 152, and into compartment 138. Lid 148 keeps ribbon 104 taut as it extends on display. Referring to FIG. 11, in particular, front plate 114 forms an obtuse angle (here, 95°, although a range of both obtuse and acute angles can produce the desired function and appearance) with base 108, enabling medal display 100 to show medal 102 in a still, steady presentation.

Based on the described arrangements, in various embodiments, benefits abound. Medal display 100 presents finisher medal 102 in a way that draws focus to the medal section, removing a significant part of ribbon 104 from view. Given the angle of stand 106, medal display 100 “wears,” on its “chest,” finisher medal 102, to create a unique presentation that, along with the securement of ribbon 104 to display 100, stabilizes medal 102 on display 100. Medal display 100 provides a compact visualization of a finisher's achievement.

While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A display apparatus comprising: a base; a substantially vertical section connected to the base and comprising: at least one opening, the opening comprising a slot; and at least one projecting support residing within the opening; and a lid positioned within the slot.
 2. The display apparatus of claim 1, where the substantially vertical section connects to the base at an angle of about 95 degrees.
 3. The display apparatus of claim 1, where the substantially vertical section comprises a front plate and a back plate.
 4. The display apparatus of claim 3, where the opening is formed in the back plate of the substantially vertical section.
 5. The display apparatus of claim 3, where the front plate includes at least one male connector and the back plate includes at least one female connector.
 6. The display apparatus of claim 1, where the opening comprises a lid slot capable of accommodating the lid.
 7. A display apparatus for an awarded medal, comprising: a base; a substantially vertical section connected to the base and comprising: at least one opening, the opening comprising a slot; at least one projecting support residing within the opening; and a lid positioned within the slot; and the awarded medal comprising a medal section and a ribbon, at least part of the ribbon residing inside the opening and covered by the lid.
 8. The display apparatus of claim 7, where the substantially vertical section connects to the base at an angle of about 95 degrees.
 9. The display apparatus of claim 7, where the substantially vertical section comprises a front plate and a back plate.
 10. The display apparatus of claim 9, where the opening is formed in the back plate of the substantially vertical section.
 11. The display apparatus of claim 9, where the front plate includes at least one male connector and the back plate includes at least one female connector.
 12. The display apparatus of claim 7, where the opening comprises a lid slot capable of accommodating the lid.
 13. A method for assembling an awarded medal display, comprising: providing a base; connecting the base with a substantially vertical section, the substantially vertical section comprising at least one opening, the opening comprising a slot capable of accommodating a lid, and at least one projecting support residing within the opening; and connecting an awarded medal to the substantially vertical section, the awarded medal including a medal section and a ribbon, at least part of the ribbon residing inside the opening. 